Power Restored at Catawba Nuclear Station
April 5, 2012, 2:35 a.m.

Power has been restored to Catawba Nuclear Station and the unusual event emergency classification was terminated at 1:37 a.m.

An unusual event was initially declared on April 4 at 8:12 p.m. when offsite power to the station was lost. The station’s diesel generators operated as designed to provide power to essential plant equipment. An unusual event is the lowest of four emergency classifications. This condition posed no threat to public safety, but required certain emergency response functions to be in a heightened state of readiness.

Duke Energy’s emergency operations facilities were activated and station employees responded to the situation. Appropriate federal, state and local officials were also notified.

Although power has been restored to the station, the units are not currently generating electricity. An investigation is being conducted regarding the cause.

Overnight, neighbors near the plant reported hearing loud noises. The sound was steam being released from the station as part of the shut down process.

Catawba Nuclear Station is a two-unit power station located on Lake Wylie, near York, S.C. Each of its units has a rated capacity of 1,129 megawatts. Catawba unit 1 began commercial operation in l985; unit 2 in l986. Catawba Nuclear Station is jointly owned by North Carolina Municipal Power Agency No. 1, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, Piedmont Municipal Power Agency and Duke Energy.

Duke Energy Carolinas owns nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides approximately 19,500 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 2.4 million customers in a 24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., its regulated utility operations serve 4 million electric customers in the Carolinas, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and a half-million natural gas customers in Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Power and International Energy business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States. A Fortune 500 company, Duke Energy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information is available at: www.duke-energy.com.